The last time the Indianapolis Colts and Cincinnati Bengals met each other in 2014 was in week seven of the regular season. The game was one of the worst performances the Bengals put together the entire season, leaving behind some disappointing memories. The Colts would like a repeat performance of the 27-0 shutout during the first week of the NFL playoffs, a game Bengals offensive coordinator Hue Jackson called “straight up embarrassing.” Indianapolis’ Chuck Pagano called it his team’s “blueprint of success.” Both teams desperately want the win this weekend in order to move forward in the post-season, but with some personnel changes the Colts would love to capitalize on the mistakes the Bengals made previously for a second successful outcome.

The AFC South champions played their most complete game of the season against Cincinnati by setting a tone on defense that kept Andy Dalton and the Bengals offense struggling to put together drives that resulted in points on the scoreboard. Indianapolis was able to hold Cincinnati to several three-and-outs, forcing Pro Bowl punter Kevin Huber to punt the ball away 11 times in 14 drives. The defense also limited a Bengals offense that had entered the game averaging 6.34 yards per-play to just 2.5 yards per-play. A repeat of that performance may be difficult as Bengals rookie running back Jeremy Hill has been chewing up yards, gaining 929 since week eight – 105 more rushing yards than any other player during that time frame. Giovanni Bernard has been moved to a supportive and third-down back role. The Colts have allowed 1,814 rushing yards from their opponents this season, 423 plays for 4.3 yards per rush. Their focus will need to be on keeping Hill bottled up, especially on runs outside the tackles where he has found quite a bit of success.

There is no doubt that injuries on both squads will be something the Colts will be focused on as well. Running back Ahmad Bradshaw had two touchdowns against the Bengals, but has been placed on the injured-reserved list in favor of Dan “Boom” Herron. Bradshaw was the second-leading rusher on the Colts squad and recorded 425 yards and two touchdowns. Herron is quickly filling the role behind leading rusher Trent Richardson by adding 351 yards and a touchdown to Richardson’s 519 yards and three touchdowns. Three players were hurt in the Colts’ final regular season game against the Tennessee Titans; wide receiver Reggie Wayne (groin) and offensive linemen A.Q. Shipley (ankle) and Hugh Thornton (shoulder). Wayne is expected to return to practice, according to Pagano, either Wednesday or Thursday, but is officially day-to-day. If Wayne has a say, he’ll be on the field against the Bengals. Wayne is currently second in reception yards to T.Y. Hilton with 779 on the season for two touchdowns. If he is unable to play, Hilton will likely be complimented the most by Coby Fleener, who has 774 receiving yards on 51 catches for eight touchdowns.

Bengals wideout A.J. Green is under concussion protocol after being forced to leave the game against Pittsburgh. Just the week before, Green had injured a bicep. If he is able to return in time to face the Colts, it may force Indianapolis to rethink how many defensive players they can assign to stop Hill and the running game.

Andrew Luck could get a big boost from the fact that the Cincinnati defense has steadily become less of a pressure team along the line than a tight coverage team down the field. According to Pro Football Focus, the Bengals’ worst pass-rushers were all defensive linemen; Wallace Gilberry, Robert Geathers, Carlos Dunlap, Domata Peko and Geno Atkins. Against the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Bengals were only able to generate three hits and 16 pressures in a game that garnered no sacks. Add to that the league’s worst sack record, at 20, and Luck could have the time he needs to set up a potent offensive attack. Dunlap leads the Bengals in sacks with eight and is still dangerous, but appears to be easily handled with double-teams early in the game until he tires. The last time these teams met, the Bengals were able to sack Dalton twice and put solid pressure on the offensive line.

The Colts organization is encouraging its fans to turn Lucas Oil Stadium blue this weekend and have several fan events planned. Via social media, Colts fans have been invited to share photos showing their #ColtsPride during the week of December 29 for opportunities to win everything from playoff tickets to autographed memorabilia. On New Year’s Eve, Indianapolis will be holding a celebration on Georgia Street downtown beginning at 5 p.m., giving away posters at the Colts booth. On Friday, January 2 (6:30 – 8:30 a.m.), fans can drive through Monument Circle, get a Colts rally towel from Indianapolis cheerleaders and mascot, Blue. From noon to 1 p.m., the Colts will hold a Blue Friday pep rally at the Circle Centre Mall food court, where linebacker Robert Mathis will be doing a meet-and-greet. Three hours prior to game kickoff, on South Street in front of Lucas Oil Stadium, the American Family Insurance Touchdown Town will open for free to fans.

Christina Rivers has covered the Pittsburgh Steelers and National Football League professionally as a reporter and photographer for over a decade. Rivers studied exercise physiology and sports psychology at Brigham Young University as a student-athlete. Christina is a freelance writer covering all things NFL. Her work can be found onExaminer.com. [javascript src=http://www.examiner.com/sites/all/libraries/cbswidget.min.js]

The last time the Indianapolis Colts and Cincinnati Bengals met each other in 2014 was in week seven of the regular season. The game was one of the worst performances the Bengals put together the entire season, leaving behind some disappointing memories. The Colts would like a repeat performance of the 27-0 shutout during the first week of the NFL playoffs, a game Bengals offensive coordinator Hue Jackson called “straight up embarrassing.” Indianapolis’ Chuck Pagano called it his team’s “blueprint of success.” Both teams desperately want the win this weekend in order to move forward in the post-season, but with some personnel changes the Colts would love to capitalize on the mistakes the Bengals made previously for a second successful outcome.

The AFC South champions played their most complete game of the season against Cincinnati by setting a tone on defense that kept Andy Dalton and the Bengals offense struggling to put together drives that resulted in points on the scoreboard. Indianapolis was able to hold Cincinnati to several three-and-outs, forcing Pro Bowl punter Kevin Huber to punt the ball away 11 times in 14 drives. The defense also limited a Bengals offense that had entered the game averaging 6.34 yards per-play to just 2.5 yards per-play. A repeat of that performance may be difficult as Bengals rookie running back Jeremy Hill has been chewing up yards, gaining 929 since week eight – 105 more rushing yards than any other player during that time frame. Giovanni Bernard has been moved to a supportive and third-down back role. The Colts have allowed 1,814 rushing yards from their opponents this season, 423 plays for 4.3 yards per rush. Their focus will need to be on keeping Hill bottled up, especially on runs outside the tackles where he has found quite a bit of success.

There is no doubt that injuries on both squads will be something the Colts will be focused on as well. Running back Ahmad Bradshaw had two touchdowns against the Bengals, but has been placed on the injured-reserved list in favor of Dan “Boom” Herron. Bradshaw was the second-leading rusher on the Colts squad and recorded 425 yards and two touchdowns. Herron is quickly filling the role behind leading rusher Trent Richardson by adding 351 yards and a touchdown to Richardson’s 519 yards and three touchdowns. Three players were hurt in the Colts’ final regular season game against the Tennessee Titans; wide receiver Reggie Wayne (groin) and offensive linemen A.Q. Shipley (ankle) and Hugh Thornton (shoulder). Wayne is expected to return to practice, according to Pagano, either Wednesday or Thursday, but is officially day-to-day. If Wayne has a say, he’ll be on the field against the Bengals. Wayne is currently second in reception yards to T.Y. Hilton with 779 on the season for two touchdowns. If he is unable to play, Hilton will likely be complimented the most by Coby Fleener, who has 774 receiving yards on 51 catches for eight touchdowns.

Bengals wideout A.J. Green is under concussion protocol after being forced to leave the game against Pittsburgh. Just the week before, Green had injured a bicep. If he is able to return in time to face the Colts, it may force Indianapolis to rethink how many defensive players they can assign to stop Hill and the running game.

Andrew Luck could get a big boost from the fact that the Cincinnati defense has steadily become less of a pressure team along the line than a tight coverage team down the field. According to Pro Football Focus, the Bengals’ worst pass-rushers were all defensive linemen; Wallace Gilberry, Robert Geathers, Carlos Dunlap, Domata Peko and Geno Atkins. Against the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Bengals were only able to generate three hits and 16 pressures in a game that garnered no sacks. Add to that the league’s worst sack record, at 20, and Luck could have the time he needs to set up a potent offensive attack. Dunlap leads the Bengals in sacks with eight and is still dangerous, but appears to be easily handled with double-teams early in the game until he tires. The last time these teams met, the Bengals were able to sack Dalton twice and put solid pressure on the offensive line.

The Colts organization is encouraging its fans to turn Lucas Oil Stadium blue this weekend and have several fan events planned. Via social media, Colts fans have been invited to share photos showing their #ColtsPride during the week of December 29 for opportunities to win everything from playoff tickets to autographed memorabilia. On New Year’s Eve, Indianapolis will be holding a celebration on Georgia Street downtown beginning at 5 p.m., giving away posters at the Colts booth. On Friday, January 2 (6:30 – 8:30 a.m.), fans can drive through Monument Circle, get a Colts rally towel from Indianapolis cheerleaders and mascot, Blue. From noon to 1 p.m., the Colts will hold a Blue Friday pep rally at the Circle Centre Mall food court, where linebacker Robert Mathis will be doing a meet-and-greet. Three hours prior to game kickoff, on South Street in front of Lucas Oil Stadium, the American Family Insurance Touchdown Town will open for free to fans.

Christina Rivers has covered the Pittsburgh Steelers and National Football League professionally as a reporter and photographer for over a decade. Rivers studied exercise physiology and sports psychology at Brigham Young University as a student-athlete. Christina is a freelance writer covering all things NFL. Her work can be found onExaminer.com. [javascript src=http://www.examiner.com/sites/all/libraries/cbswidget.min.js]

The last time the Indianapolis Colts and Cincinnati Bengals met each other in 2014 was in week seven of the regular season. The game was one of the worst performances the Bengals put together the entire season, leaving behind some disappointing memories. The Colts would like a repeat performance of the 27-0 shutout during the first week of the NFL playoffs, a game Bengals offensive coordinator Hue Jackson called “straight up embarrassing.” Indianapolis’ Chuck Pagano called it his team’s “blueprint of success.” Both teams desperately want the win this weekend in order to move forward in the post-season, but with some personnel changes the Colts would love to capitalize on the mistakes the Bengals made previously for a second successful outcome.

The AFC South champions played their most complete game of the season against Cincinnati by setting a tone on defense that kept Andy Dalton and the Bengals offense struggling to put together drives that resulted in points on the scoreboard. Indianapolis was able to hold Cincinnati to several three-and-outs, forcing Pro Bowl punter Kevin Huber to punt the ball away 11 times in 14 drives. The defense also limited a Bengals offense that had entered the game averaging 6.34 yards per-play to just 2.5 yards per-play. A repeat of that performance may be difficult as Bengals rookie running back Jeremy Hill has been chewing up yards, gaining 929 since week eight – 105 more rushing yards than any other player during that time frame. Giovanni Bernard has been moved to a supportive and third-down back role. The Colts have allowed 1,814 rushing yards from their opponents this season, 423 plays for 4.3 yards per rush. Their focus will need to be on keeping Hill bottled up, especially on runs outside the tackles where he has found quite a bit of success.

There is no doubt that injuries on both squads will be something the Colts will be focused on as well. Running back Ahmad Bradshaw had two touchdowns against the Bengals, but has been placed on the injured-reserved list in favor of Dan “Boom” Herron. Bradshaw was the second-leading rusher on the Colts squad and recorded 425 yards and two touchdowns. Herron is quickly filling the role behind leading rusher Trent Richardson by adding 351 yards and a touchdown to Richardson’s 519 yards and three touchdowns. Three players were hurt in the Colts’ final regular season game against the Tennessee Titans; wide receiver Reggie Wayne (groin) and offensive linemen A.Q. Shipley (ankle) and Hugh Thornton (shoulder). Wayne is expected to return to practice, according to Pagano, either Wednesday or Thursday, but is officially day-to-day. If Wayne has a say, he’ll be on the field against the Bengals. Wayne is currently second in reception yards to T.Y. Hilton with 779 on the season for two touchdowns. If he is unable to play, Hilton will likely be complimented the most by Coby Fleener, who has 774 receiving yards on 51 catches for eight touchdowns.

Bengals wideout A.J. Green is under concussion protocol after being forced to leave the game against Pittsburgh. Just the week before, Green had injured a bicep. If he is able to return in time to face the Colts, it may force Indianapolis to rethink how many defensive players they can assign to stop Hill and the running game.

Andrew Luck could get a big boost from the fact that the Cincinnati defense has steadily become less of a pressure team along the line than a tight coverage team down the field. According to Pro Football Focus, the Bengals’ worst pass-rushers were all defensive linemen; Wallace Gilberry, Robert Geathers, Carlos Dunlap, Domata Peko and Geno Atkins. Against the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Bengals were only able to generate three hits and 16 pressures in a game that garnered no sacks. Add to that the league’s worst sack record, at 20, and Luck could have the time he needs to set up a potent offensive attack. Dunlap leads the Bengals in sacks with eight and is still dangerous, but appears to be easily handled with double-teams early in the game until he tires. The last time these teams met, the Bengals were able to sack Dalton twice and put solid pressure on the offensive line.

The Colts organization is encouraging its fans to turn Lucas Oil Stadium blue this weekend and have several fan events planned. Via social media, Colts fans have been invited to share photos showing their #ColtsPride during the week of December 29 for opportunities to win everything from playoff tickets to autographed memorabilia. On New Year’s Eve, Indianapolis will be holding a celebration on Georgia Street downtown beginning at 5 p.m., giving away posters at the Colts booth. On Friday, January 2 (6:30 – 8:30 a.m.), fans can drive through Monument Circle, get a Colts rally towel from Indianapolis cheerleaders and mascot, Blue. From noon to 1 p.m., the Colts will hold a Blue Friday pep rally at the Circle Centre Mall food court, where linebacker Robert Mathis will be doing a meet-and-greet. Three hours prior to game kickoff, on South Street in front of Lucas Oil Stadium, the American Family Insurance Touchdown Town will open for free to fans.

Christina Rivers has covered the Pittsburgh Steelers and National Football League professionally as a reporter and photographer for over a decade. Rivers studied exercise physiology and sports psychology at Brigham Young University as a student-athlete. Christina is a freelance writer covering all things NFL. Her work can be found onExaminer.com. [javascript src=http://www.examiner.com/sites/all/libraries/cbswidget.min.js]

The last time the Indianapolis Colts and Cincinnati Bengals met each other in 2014 was in week seven of the regular season. The game was one of the worst performances the Bengals put together the entire season, leaving behind some disappointing memories. The Colts would like a repeat performance of the 27-0 shutout during the first week of the NFL playoffs, a game Bengals offensive coordinator Hue Jackson called “straight up embarrassing.” Indianapolis’ Chuck Pagano called it his team’s “blueprint of success.” Both teams desperately want the win this weekend in order to move forward in the post-season, but with some personnel changes the Colts would love to capitalize on the mistakes the Bengals made previously for a second successful outcome.

The AFC South champions played their most complete game of the season against Cincinnati by setting a tone on defense that kept Andy Dalton and the Bengals offense struggling to put together drives that resulted in points on the scoreboard. Indianapolis was able to hold Cincinnati to several three-and-outs, forcing Pro Bowl punter Kevin Huber to punt the ball away 11 times in 14 drives. The defense also limited a Bengals offense that had entered the game averaging 6.34 yards per-play to just 2.5 yards per-play. A repeat of that performance may be difficult as Bengals rookie running back Jeremy Hill has been chewing up yards, gaining 929 since week eight – 105 more rushing yards than any other player during that time frame. Giovanni Bernard has been moved to a supportive and third-down back role. The Colts have allowed 1,814 rushing yards from their opponents this season, 423 plays for 4.3 yards per rush. Their focus will need to be on keeping Hill bottled up, especially on runs outside the tackles where he has found quite a bit of success.

There is no doubt that injuries on both squads will be something the Colts will be focused on as well. Running back Ahmad Bradshaw had two touchdowns against the Bengals, but has been placed on the injured-reserved list in favor of Dan “Boom” Herron. Bradshaw was the second-leading rusher on the Colts squad and recorded 425 yards and two touchdowns. Herron is quickly filling the role behind leading rusher Trent Richardson by adding 351 yards and a touchdown to Richardson’s 519 yards and three touchdowns. Three players were hurt in the Colts’ final regular season game against the Tennessee Titans; wide receiver Reggie Wayne (groin) and offensive linemen A.Q. Shipley (ankle) and Hugh Thornton (shoulder). Wayne is expected to return to practice, according to Pagano, either Wednesday or Thursday, but is officially day-to-day. If Wayne has a say, he’ll be on the field against the Bengals. Wayne is currently second in reception yards to T.Y. Hilton with 779 on the season for two touchdowns. If he is unable to play, Hilton will likely be complimented the most by Coby Fleener, who has 774 receiving yards on 51 catches for eight touchdowns.

Bengals wideout A.J. Green is under concussion protocol after being forced to leave the game against Pittsburgh. Just the week before, Green had injured a bicep. If he is able to return in time to face the Colts, it may force Indianapolis to rethink how many defensive players they can assign to stop Hill and the running game.

Andrew Luck could get a big boost from the fact that the Cincinnati defense has steadily become less of a pressure team along the line than a tight coverage team down the field. According to Pro Football Focus, the Bengals’ worst pass-rushers were all defensive linemen; Wallace Gilberry, Robert Geathers, Carlos Dunlap, Domata Peko and Geno Atkins. Against the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Bengals were only able to generate three hits and 16 pressures in a game that garnered no sacks. Add to that the league’s worst sack record, at 20, and Luck could have the time he needs to set up a potent offensive attack. Dunlap leads the Bengals in sacks with eight and is still dangerous, but appears to be easily handled with double-teams early in the game until he tires. The last time these teams met, the Bengals were able to sack Dalton twice and put solid pressure on the offensive line.

The Colts organization is encouraging its fans to turn Lucas Oil Stadium blue this weekend and have several fan events planned. Via social media, Colts fans have been invited to share photos showing their #ColtsPride during the week of December 29 for opportunities to win everything from playoff tickets to autographed memorabilia. On New Year’s Eve, Indianapolis will be holding a celebration on Georgia Street downtown beginning at 5 p.m., giving away posters at the Colts booth. On Friday, January 2 (6:30 – 8:30 a.m.), fans can drive through Monument Circle, get a Colts rally towel from Indianapolis cheerleaders and mascot, Blue. From noon to 1 p.m., the Colts will hold a Blue Friday pep rally at the Circle Centre Mall food court, where linebacker Robert Mathis will be doing a meet-and-greet. Three hours prior to game kickoff, on South Street in front of Lucas Oil Stadium, the American Family Insurance Touchdown Town will open for free to fans.

Christina Rivers has covered the Pittsburgh Steelers and National Football League professionally as a reporter and photographer for over a decade. Rivers studied exercise physiology and sports psychology at Brigham Young University as a student-athlete. Christina is a freelance writer covering all things NFL. Her work can be found onExaminer.com. [javascript src=http://www.examiner.com/sites/all/libraries/cbswidget.min.js]

The last time the Indianapolis Colts and Cincinnati Bengals met each other in 2014 was in week seven of the regular season. The game was one of the worst performances the Bengals put together the entire season, leaving behind some disappointing memories. The Colts would like a repeat performance of the 27-0 shutout during the first week of the NFL playoffs, a game Bengals offensive coordinator Hue Jackson called “straight up embarrassing.” Indianapolis’ Chuck Pagano called it his team’s “blueprint of success.” Both teams desperately want the win this weekend in order to move forward in the post-season, but with some personnel changes the Colts would love to capitalize on the mistakes the Bengals made previously for a second successful outcome.

The AFC South champions played their most complete game of the season against Cincinnati by setting a tone on defense that kept Andy Dalton and the Bengals offense struggling to put together drives that resulted in points on the scoreboard. Indianapolis was able to hold Cincinnati to several three-and-outs, forcing Pro Bowl punter Kevin Huber to punt the ball away 11 times in 14 drives. The defense also limited a Bengals offense that had entered the game averaging 6.34 yards per-play to just 2.5 yards per-play. A repeat of that performance may be difficult as Bengals rookie running back Jeremy Hill has been chewing up yards, gaining 929 since week eight – 105 more rushing yards than any other player during that time frame. Giovanni Bernard has been moved to a supportive and third-down back role. The Colts have allowed 1,814 rushing yards from their opponents this season, 423 plays for 4.3 yards per rush. Their focus will need to be on keeping Hill bottled up, especially on runs outside the tackles where he has found quite a bit of success.

There is no doubt that injuries on both squads will be something the Colts will be focused on as well. Running back Ahmad Bradshaw had two touchdowns against the Bengals, but has been placed on the injured-reserved list in favor of Dan “Boom” Herron. Bradshaw was the second-leading rusher on the Colts squad and recorded 425 yards and two touchdowns. Herron is quickly filling the role behind leading rusher Trent Richardson by adding 351 yards and a touchdown to Richardson’s 519 yards and three touchdowns. Three players were hurt in the Colts’ final regular season game against the Tennessee Titans; wide receiver Reggie Wayne (groin) and offensive linemen A.Q. Shipley (ankle) and Hugh Thornton (shoulder). Wayne is expected to return to practice, according to Pagano, either Wednesday or Thursday, but is officially day-to-day. If Wayne has a say, he’ll be on the field against the Bengals. Wayne is currently second in reception yards to T.Y. Hilton with 779 on the season for two touchdowns. If he is unable to play, Hilton will likely be complimented the most by Coby Fleener, who has 774 receiving yards on 51 catches for eight touchdowns.

Bengals wideout A.J. Green is under concussion protocol after being forced to leave the game against Pittsburgh. Just the week before, Green had injured a bicep. If he is able to return in time to face the Colts, it may force Indianapolis to rethink how many defensive players they can assign to stop Hill and the running game.

Andrew Luck could get a big boost from the fact that the Cincinnati defense has steadily become less of a pressure team along the line than a tight coverage team down the field. According to Pro Football Focus, the Bengals’ worst pass-rushers were all defensive linemen; Wallace Gilberry, Robert Geathers, Carlos Dunlap, Domata Peko and Geno Atkins. Against the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Bengals were only able to generate three hits and 16 pressures in a game that garnered no sacks. Add to that the league’s worst sack record, at 20, and Luck could have the time he needs to set up a potent offensive attack. Dunlap leads the Bengals in sacks with eight and is still dangerous, but appears to be easily handled with double-teams early in the game until he tires. The last time these teams met, the Bengals were able to sack Dalton twice and put solid pressure on the offensive line.

The Colts organization is encouraging its fans to turn Lucas Oil Stadium blue this weekend and have several fan events planned. Via social media, Colts fans have been invited to share photos showing their #ColtsPride during the week of December 29 for opportunities to win everything from playoff tickets to autographed memorabilia. On New Year’s Eve, Indianapolis will be holding a celebration on Georgia Street downtown beginning at 5 p.m., giving away posters at the Colts booth. On Friday, January 2 (6:30 – 8:30 a.m.), fans can drive through Monument Circle, get a Colts rally towel from Indianapolis cheerleaders and mascot, Blue. From noon to 1 p.m., the Colts will hold a Blue Friday pep rally at the Circle Centre Mall food court, where linebacker Robert Mathis will be doing a meet-and-greet. Three hours prior to game kickoff, on South Street in front of Lucas Oil Stadium, the American Family Insurance Touchdown Town will open for free to fans.

Christina Rivers has covered the Pittsburgh Steelers and National Football League professionally as a reporter and photographer for over a decade. Rivers studied exercise physiology and sports psychology at Brigham Young University as a student-athlete. Christina is a freelance writer covering all things NFL. Her work can be found onExaminer.com. [javascript src=http://www.examiner.com/sites/all/libraries/cbswidget.min.js]

The last time the Indianapolis Colts and Cincinnati Bengals met each other in 2014 was in week seven of the regular season. The game was one of the worst performances the Bengals put together the entire season, leaving behind some disappointing memories. The Colts would like a repeat performance of the 27-0 shutout during the first week of the NFL playoffs, a game Bengals offensive coordinator Hue Jackson called “straight up embarrassing.” Indianapolis’ Chuck Pagano called it his team’s “blueprint of success.” Both teams desperately want the win this weekend in order to move forward in the post-season, but with some personnel changes the Colts would love to capitalize on the mistakes the Bengals made previously for a second successful outcome.

The AFC South champions played their most complete game of the season against Cincinnati by setting a tone on defense that kept Andy Dalton and the Bengals offense struggling to put together drives that resulted in points on the scoreboard. Indianapolis was able to hold Cincinnati to several three-and-outs, forcing Pro Bowl punter Kevin Huber to punt the ball away 11 times in 14 drives. The defense also limited a Bengals offense that had entered the game averaging 6.34 yards per-play to just 2.5 yards per-play. A repeat of that performance may be difficult as Bengals rookie running back Jeremy Hill has been chewing up yards, gaining 929 since week eight – 105 more rushing yards than any other player during that time frame. Giovanni Bernard has been moved to a supportive and third-down back role. The Colts have allowed 1,814 rushing yards from their opponents this season, 423 plays for 4.3 yards per rush. Their focus will need to be on keeping Hill bottled up, especially on runs outside the tackles where he has found quite a bit of success.

There is no doubt that injuries on both squads will be something the Colts will be focused on as well. Running back Ahmad Bradshaw had two touchdowns against the Bengals, but has been placed on the injured-reserved list in favor of Dan “Boom” Herron. Bradshaw was the second-leading rusher on the Colts squad and recorded 425 yards and two touchdowns. Herron is quickly filling the role behind leading rusher Trent Richardson by adding 351 yards and a touchdown to Richardson’s 519 yards and three touchdowns. Three players were hurt in the Colts’ final regular season game against the Tennessee Titans; wide receiver Reggie Wayne (groin) and offensive linemen A.Q. Shipley (ankle) and Hugh Thornton (shoulder). Wayne is expected to return to practice, according to Pagano, either Wednesday or Thursday, but is officially day-to-day. If Wayne has a say, he’ll be on the field against the Bengals. Wayne is currently second in reception yards to T.Y. Hilton with 779 on the season for two touchdowns. If he is unable to play, Hilton will likely be complimented the most by Coby Fleener, who has 774 receiving yards on 51 catches for eight touchdowns.

Bengals wideout A.J. Green is under concussion protocol after being forced to leave the game against Pittsburgh. Just the week before, Green had injured a bicep. If he is able to return in time to face the Colts, it may force Indianapolis to rethink how many defensive players they can assign to stop Hill and the running game.

Andrew Luck could get a big boost from the fact that the Cincinnati defense has steadily become less of a pressure team along the line than a tight coverage team down the field. According to Pro Football Focus, the Bengals’ worst pass-rushers were all defensive linemen; Wallace Gilberry, Robert Geathers, Carlos Dunlap, Domata Peko and Geno Atkins. Against the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Bengals were only able to generate three hits and 16 pressures in a game that garnered no sacks. Add to that the league’s worst sack record, at 20, and Luck could have the time he needs to set up a potent offensive attack. Dunlap leads the Bengals in sacks with eight and is still dangerous, but appears to be easily handled with double-teams early in the game until he tires. The last time these teams met, the Bengals were able to sack Dalton twice and put solid pressure on the offensive line.

The Colts organization is encouraging its fans to turn Lucas Oil Stadium blue this weekend and have several fan events planned. Via social media, Colts fans have been invited to share photos showing their #ColtsPride during the week of December 29 for opportunities to win everything from playoff tickets to autographed memorabilia. On New Year’s Eve, Indianapolis will be holding a celebration on Georgia Street downtown beginning at 5 p.m., giving away posters at the Colts booth. On Friday, January 2 (6:30 – 8:30 a.m.), fans can drive through Monument Circle, get a Colts rally towel from Indianapolis cheerleaders and mascot, Blue. From noon to 1 p.m., the Colts will hold a Blue Friday pep rally at the Circle Centre Mall food court, where linebacker Robert Mathis will be doing a meet-and-greet. Three hours prior to game kickoff, on South Street in front of Lucas Oil Stadium, the American Family Insurance Touchdown Town will open for free to fans.

Christina Rivers has covered the Pittsburgh Steelers and National Football League professionally as a reporter and photographer for over a decade. Rivers studied exercise physiology and sports psychology at Brigham Young University as a student-athlete. Christina is a freelance writer covering all things NFL. Her work can be found onExaminer.com. [javascript src=http://www.examiner.com/sites/all/libraries/cbswidget.min.js]

The last time the Indianapolis Colts and Cincinnati Bengals met each other in 2014 was in week seven of the regular season. The game was one of the worst performances the Bengals put together the entire season, leaving behind some disappointing memories. The Colts would like a repeat performance of the 27-0 shutout during the first week of the NFL playoffs, a game Bengals offensive coordinator Hue Jackson called “straight up embarrassing.” Indianapolis’ Chuck Pagano called it his team’s “blueprint of success.” Both teams desperately want the win this weekend in order to move forward in the post-season, but with some personnel changes the Colts would love to capitalize on the mistakes the Bengals made previously for a second successful outcome.

The AFC South champions played their most complete game of the season against Cincinnati by setting a tone on defense that kept Andy Dalton and the Bengals offense struggling to put together drives that resulted in points on the scoreboard. Indianapolis was able to hold Cincinnati to several three-and-outs, forcing Pro Bowl punter Kevin Huber to punt the ball away 11 times in 14 drives. The defense also limited a Bengals offense that had entered the game averaging 6.34 yards per-play to just 2.5 yards per-play. A repeat of that performance may be difficult as Bengals rookie running back Jeremy Hill has been chewing up yards, gaining 929 since week eight – 105 more rushing yards than any other player during that time frame. Giovanni Bernard has been moved to a supportive and third-down back role. The Colts have allowed 1,814 rushing yards from their opponents this season, 423 plays for 4.3 yards per rush. Their focus will need to be on keeping Hill bottled up, especially on runs outside the tackles where he has found quite a bit of success.

There is no doubt that injuries on both squads will be something the Colts will be focused on as well. Running back Ahmad Bradshaw had two touchdowns against the Bengals, but has been placed on the injured-reserved list in favor of Dan “Boom” Herron. Bradshaw was the second-leading rusher on the Colts squad and recorded 425 yards and two touchdowns. Herron is quickly filling the role behind leading rusher Trent Richardson by adding 351 yards and a touchdown to Richardson’s 519 yards and three touchdowns. Three players were hurt in the Colts’ final regular season game against the Tennessee Titans; wide receiver Reggie Wayne (groin) and offensive linemen A.Q. Shipley (ankle) and Hugh Thornton (shoulder). Wayne is expected to return to practice, according to Pagano, either Wednesday or Thursday, but is officially day-to-day. If Wayne has a say, he’ll be on the field against the Bengals. Wayne is currently second in reception yards to T.Y. Hilton with 779 on the season for two touchdowns. If he is unable to play, Hilton will likely be complimented the most by Coby Fleener, who has 774 receiving yards on 51 catches for eight touchdowns.

Bengals wideout A.J. Green is under concussion protocol after being forced to leave the game against Pittsburgh. Just the week before, Green had injured a bicep. If he is able to return in time to face the Colts, it may force Indianapolis to rethink how many defensive players they can assign to stop Hill and the running game.

Andrew Luck could get a big boost from the fact that the Cincinnati defense has steadily become less of a pressure team along the line than a tight coverage team down the field. According to Pro Football Focus, the Bengals’ worst pass-rushers were all defensive linemen; Wallace Gilberry, Robert Geathers, Carlos Dunlap, Domata Peko and Geno Atkins. Against the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Bengals were only able to generate three hits and 16 pressures in a game that garnered no sacks. Add to that the league’s worst sack record, at 20, and Luck could have the time he needs to set up a potent offensive attack. Dunlap leads the Bengals in sacks with eight and is still dangerous, but appears to be easily handled with double-teams early in the game until he tires. The last time these teams met, the Bengals were able to sack Dalton twice and put solid pressure on the offensive line.

The Colts organization is encouraging its fans to turn Lucas Oil Stadium blue this weekend and have several fan events planned. Via social media, Colts fans have been invited to share photos showing their #ColtsPride during the week of December 29 for opportunities to win everything from playoff tickets to autographed memorabilia. On New Year’s Eve, Indianapolis will be holding a celebration on Georgia Street downtown beginning at 5 p.m., giving away posters at the Colts booth. On Friday, January 2 (6:30 – 8:30 a.m.), fans can drive through Monument Circle, get a Colts rally towel from Indianapolis cheerleaders and mascot, Blue. From noon to 1 p.m., the Colts will hold a Blue Friday pep rally at the Circle Centre Mall food court, where linebacker Robert Mathis will be doing a meet-and-greet. Three hours prior to game kickoff, on South Street in front of Lucas Oil Stadium, the American Family Insurance Touchdown Town will open for free to fans.

Christina Rivers has covered the Pittsburgh Steelers and National Football League professionally as a reporter and photographer for over a decade. Rivers studied exercise physiology and sports psychology at Brigham Young University as a student-athlete. Christina is a freelance writer covering all things NFL. Her work can be found onExaminer.com. [javascript src=http://www.examiner.com/sites/all/libraries/cbswidget.min.js]

The last time the Indianapolis Colts and Cincinnati Bengals met each other in 2014 was in week seven of the regular season. The game was one of the worst performances the Bengals put together the entire season, leaving behind some disappointing memories. The Colts would like a repeat performance of the 27-0 shutout during the first week of the NFL playoffs, a game Bengals offensive coordinator Hue Jackson called “straight up embarrassing.” Indianapolis’ Chuck Pagano called it his team’s “blueprint of success.” Both teams desperately want the win this weekend in order to move forward in the post-season, but with some personnel changes the Colts would love to capitalize on the mistakes the Bengals made previously for a second successful outcome.

The AFC South champions played their most complete game of the season against Cincinnati by setting a tone on defense that kept Andy Dalton and the Bengals offense struggling to put together drives that resulted in points on the scoreboard. Indianapolis was able to hold Cincinnati to several three-and-outs, forcing Pro Bowl punter Kevin Huber to punt the ball away 11 times in 14 drives. The defense also limited a Bengals offense that had entered the game averaging 6.34 yards per-play to just 2.5 yards per-play. A repeat of that performance may be difficult as Bengals rookie running back Jeremy Hill has been chewing up yards, gaining 929 since week eight – 105 more rushing yards than any other player during that time frame. Giovanni Bernard has been moved to a supportive and third-down back role. The Colts have allowed 1,814 rushing yards from their opponents this season, 423 plays for 4.3 yards per rush. Their focus will need to be on keeping Hill bottled up, especially on runs outside the tackles where he has found quite a bit of success.

There is no doubt that injuries on both squads will be something the Colts will be focused on as well. Running back Ahmad Bradshaw had two touchdowns against the Bengals, but has been placed on the injured-reserved list in favor of Dan “Boom” Herron. Bradshaw was the second-leading rusher on the Colts squad and recorded 425 yards and two touchdowns. Herron is quickly filling the role behind leading rusher Trent Richardson by adding 351 yards and a touchdown to Richardson’s 519 yards and three touchdowns. Three players were hurt in the Colts’ final regular season game against the Tennessee Titans; wide receiver Reggie Wayne (groin) and offensive linemen A.Q. Shipley (ankle) and Hugh Thornton (shoulder). Wayne is expected to return to practice, according to Pagano, either Wednesday or Thursday, but is officially day-to-day. If Wayne has a say, he’ll be on the field against the Bengals. Wayne is currently second in reception yards to T.Y. Hilton with 779 on the season for two touchdowns. If he is unable to play, Hilton will likely be complimented the most by Coby Fleener, who has 774 receiving yards on 51 catches for eight touchdowns.

Bengals wideout A.J. Green is under concussion protocol after being forced to leave the game against Pittsburgh. Just the week before, Green had injured a bicep. If he is able to return in time to face the Colts, it may force Indianapolis to rethink how many defensive players they can assign to stop Hill and the running game.

Andrew Luck could get a big boost from the fact that the Cincinnati defense has steadily become less of a pressure team along the line than a tight coverage team down the field. According to Pro Football Focus, the Bengals’ worst pass-rushers were all defensive linemen; Wallace Gilberry, Robert Geathers, Carlos Dunlap, Domata Peko and Geno Atkins. Against the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Bengals were only able to generate three hits and 16 pressures in a game that garnered no sacks. Add to that the league’s worst sack record, at 20, and Luck could have the time he needs to set up a potent offensive attack. Dunlap leads the Bengals in sacks with eight and is still dangerous, but appears to be easily handled with double-teams early in the game until he tires. The last time these teams met, the Bengals were able to sack Dalton twice and put solid pressure on the offensive line.

The Colts organization is encouraging its fans to turn Lucas Oil Stadium blue this weekend and have several fan events planned. Via social media, Colts fans have been invited to share photos showing their #ColtsPride during the week of December 29 for opportunities to win everything from playoff tickets to autographed memorabilia. On New Year’s Eve, Indianapolis will be holding a celebration on Georgia Street downtown beginning at 5 p.m., giving away posters at the Colts booth. On Friday, January 2 (6:30 – 8:30 a.m.), fans can drive through Monument Circle, get a Colts rally towel from Indianapolis cheerleaders and mascot, Blue. From noon to 1 p.m., the Colts will hold a Blue Friday pep rally at the Circle Centre Mall food court, where linebacker Robert Mathis will be doing a meet-and-greet. Three hours prior to game kickoff, on South Street in front of Lucas Oil Stadium, the American Family Insurance Touchdown Town will open for free to fans.

Christina Rivers has covered the Pittsburgh Steelers and National Football League professionally as a reporter and photographer for over a decade. Rivers studied exercise physiology and sports psychology at Brigham Young University as a student-athlete. Christina is a freelance writer covering all things NFL. Her work can be found onExaminer.com. [javascript src=http://www.examiner.com/sites/all/libraries/cbswidget.min.js]

The last time the Indianapolis Colts and Cincinnati Bengals met each other in 2014 was in week seven of the regular season. The game was one of the worst performances the Bengals put together the entire season, leaving behind some disappointing memories. The Colts would like a repeat performance of the 27-0 shutout during the first week of the NFL playoffs, a game Bengals offensive coordinator Hue Jackson called “straight up embarrassing.” Indianapolis’ Chuck Pagano called it his team’s “blueprint of success.” Both teams desperately want the win this weekend in order to move forward in the post-season, but with some personnel changes the Colts would love to capitalize on the mistakes the Bengals made previously for a second successful outcome.

The AFC South champions played their most complete game of the season against Cincinnati by setting a tone on defense that kept Andy Dalton and the Bengals offense struggling to put together drives that resulted in points on the scoreboard. Indianapolis was able to hold Cincinnati to several three-and-outs, forcing Pro Bowl punter Kevin Huber to punt the ball away 11 times in 14 drives. The defense also limited a Bengals offense that had entered the game averaging 6.34 yards per-play to just 2.5 yards per-play. A repeat of that performance may be difficult as Bengals rookie running back Jeremy Hill has been chewing up yards, gaining 929 since week eight – 105 more rushing yards than any other player during that time frame. Giovanni Bernard has been moved to a supportive and third-down back role. The Colts have allowed 1,814 rushing yards from their opponents this season, 423 plays for 4.3 yards per rush. Their focus will need to be on keeping Hill bottled up, especially on runs outside the tackles where he has found quite a bit of success.

There is no doubt that injuries on both squads will be something the Colts will be focused on as well. Running back Ahmad Bradshaw had two touchdowns against the Bengals, but has been placed on the injured-reserved list in favor of Dan “Boom” Herron. Bradshaw was the second-leading rusher on the Colts squad and recorded 425 yards and two touchdowns. Herron is quickly filling the role behind leading rusher Trent Richardson by adding 351 yards and a touchdown to Richardson’s 519 yards and three touchdowns. Three players were hurt in the Colts’ final regular season game against the Tennessee Titans; wide receiver Reggie Wayne (groin) and offensive linemen A.Q. Shipley (ankle) and Hugh Thornton (shoulder). Wayne is expected to return to practice, according to Pagano, either Wednesday or Thursday, but is officially day-to-day. If Wayne has a say, he’ll be on the field against the Bengals. Wayne is currently second in reception yards to T.Y. Hilton with 779 on the season for two touchdowns. If he is unable to play, Hilton will likely be complimented the most by Coby Fleener, who has 774 receiving yards on 51 catches for eight touchdowns.

Bengals wideout A.J. Green is under concussion protocol after being forced to leave the game against Pittsburgh. Just the week before, Green had injured a bicep. If he is able to return in time to face the Colts, it may force Indianapolis to rethink how many defensive players they can assign to stop Hill and the running game.

Andrew Luck could get a big boost from the fact that the Cincinnati defense has steadily become less of a pressure team along the line than a tight coverage team down the field. According to Pro Football Focus, the Bengals’ worst pass-rushers were all defensive linemen; Wallace Gilberry, Robert Geathers, Carlos Dunlap, Domata Peko and Geno Atkins. Against the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Bengals were only able to generate three hits and 16 pressures in a game that garnered no sacks. Add to that the league’s worst sack record, at 20, and Luck could have the time he needs to set up a potent offensive attack. Dunlap leads the Bengals in sacks with eight and is still dangerous, but appears to be easily handled with double-teams early in the game until he tires. The last time these teams met, the Bengals were able to sack Dalton twice and put solid pressure on the offensive line.

The Colts organization is encouraging its fans to turn Lucas Oil Stadium blue this weekend and have several fan events planned. Via social media, Colts fans have been invited to share photos showing their #ColtsPride during the week of December 29 for opportunities to win everything from playoff tickets to autographed memorabilia. On New Year’s Eve, Indianapolis will be holding a celebration on Georgia Street downtown beginning at 5 p.m., giving away posters at the Colts booth. On Friday, January 2 (6:30 – 8:30 a.m.), fans can drive through Monument Circle, get a Colts rally towel from Indianapolis cheerleaders and mascot, Blue. From noon to 1 p.m., the Colts will hold a Blue Friday pep rally at the Circle Centre Mall food court, where linebacker Robert Mathis will be doing a meet-and-greet. Three hours prior to game kickoff, on South Street in front of Lucas Oil Stadium, the American Family Insurance Touchdown Town will open for free to fans.

Christina Rivers has covered the Pittsburgh Steelers and National Football League professionally as a reporter and photographer for over a decade. Rivers studied exercise physiology and sports psychology at Brigham Young University as a student-athlete. Christina is a freelance writer covering all things NFL. Her work can be found onExaminer.com. [javascript src=http://www.examiner.com/sites/all/libraries/cbswidget.min.js]

]]>https://ramseysmind.wordpress.com/2014/12/30/reasons-2014-new-england-patriots-could-lose-in-playoffs/
Tue, 30 Dec 2014 17:40:36 +0000kjramsey7https://ramseysmind.wordpress.com/2014/12/30/reasons-2014-new-england-patriots-could-lose-in-playoffs/I’ve always been an overly optimistic sports fan, until I learned to think objectively. It’s not pessimism, I call it hypothetical questioning. It allows you to cover all bases of your sports knowledge so you’re not left scratching your head after a brutal loss, reaching for reasons to justify a beloved team’s failure.

In all reality, the home field advantage-blessed 2014 New England Patriots should tip toe to Super Bowl 48, hands down.

The Indianapolis Colts defense can’t stop a nosebleed, Darrelle Revis owns T.Y. Hilton, Reggie Wayne isn’t the same wide out he was in the mid 2000s, and Andrew Luck, as young as he is, is showcasing gunslinger tendencies that mirror Brett Favre’s.

Cincinnati Bengals star receiver A.J. Green is hurt (biceps), quarterback Andy Dalton is good for at least an interception a game, and head coach Marvin Lewis is one of the least respected coaches in the NFL, especially in the playoffs. The team as a whole is a penalty or turnover waiting to happen.

Ben Roethlisberger’s Pittsburgh Steelers are gifted on offense, but may be without stud runningback Le’Veon Bell for the entire playoffs, or at least at 75%. The Steelers defense is lacking top talent, and former All Pro strong safety Troy Polamalu has been torched by Tom Brady his whole career. In addition, head coach Mike Tomlin is an absolute clown, I’ll leave it at that.

The Denver Broncos are playing with their tails between their legs; it is clear this could be Peyton Manning’s last year in the NFL. Week 16, Manning threw four interceptions at Cincinnati to clinch losing home field advantage in the playoffs. In addition, the Broncos, much like the Patriots, can’t get pressure on the quarterback, and Julius Thomas and Demariyus Thomas are slowly becoming known around the league as softies.

The Baltimore Ravens have snuck into the playoffs by the hairs on their chins. They got dismantled at home by the lowly San Diego Chargers Week 13, which almost booted them out for good, and lost to the Houston Texans Week 16. Also, Steve and Torrey Smith have underperformed all season. Tight end Dennis Pitta is on injured reserve.

Though every team suddenly gets scarier in the playoffs, the Patriots simply should not lose to any of these teams, especially being at home throughout. However, here are some reasons why New England could get bounced, because as we know, anything’s possible.

Tom Brady

New England’s golden boy in recent playoff losses:

2013 @ Den: 24/38 277 1 0

2012 vs. Bal: 29/54 320 1 2

2011 vs. NYG: 27/41 276 2 1

2010 vs. NYJ: 29/45 299 2 1

2009 vs. Bal: 23/42 154 2 3

2007 vs. NYG: 29/48 266 1 0

2006 @ Ind: 21/34 232 1 1

2005 @ Den: 20/36 341 1 2

In his past eight deciding playoff games, Brady’s average completion percentage is 59.9. Though that’s not horrible, much of the percentage has been bumped up due to garbage time completions when the games were already lost. He’s also thrown 11 touchdowns to 10 interceptions in that span.

Brady can’t be underthrowing lofts to Gronk, throwing at Brandon LaFell’s feet, or missing a wide open Danny Amendola. I’m sick of hearing Brady and his receivers “not being on the same page”. Say what you will about Amendola, but in the 2013 AFC Championship, he was wide open down the seam and Brady chose to throw deep to Matthew Slater.

There are other times when receivers are wide open but because the route isn’t perfect for him as drawn up, he misses. Brady needs to throw accurately to the open receiver and be less of a machine. It seems at times he calculates where the receiver should be in the playbook, as opposed to where the receiver is actually open on the field.

Offensive Line

Rookie Bryan Stork has been a heaven sent angel for this Patriots offensive line, and legitimately could have made the Pro Bowl. Though left guard Dan Connolly and right tackle Sebastian Vollmer have been steady, the pressure has come from the inside through right guard Ryan Wendell and off Brady’s blind side, manned by former first round pick left tackle Nate Solder (exited regular season finale with knee injury).

As everyone knows, New England has had trouble in big games protecting Brady, whether it be against the New York Giants twice, the Baltimore Ravens twice, the New York Jets, or the Denver Broncos’ Terrance Knighton, Sylvester Williams, and Marvin Austin.

The Patriots line needs to man up, and if they are simply overmatched by a certain line, offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels (who has been highly sout out this past week for a head coaching job) must know when to switch to the no huddle hurry up before it’s too late and the other team has multiple points on the board.

Rob Ninkovich, Chandler Jones and pressure all around

It’s tough to get pressure from all four down linemen all at once, especially from the inside. This is what makes interior rushers such as Geno Atkins of the Bengals and rookie Aaron Donald of the St. Louis Rams so special.

Pressure is typically needed on the bookends, which is why the Patriots spent a first round pick two years ago on Chandler Jones out of University of Syracuse, 21st overall.

Jones has picked his play up as of late, showing good burst against the Miami Dolphins (second string left tackle) after being out with a hip injury for six weeks. He also had a huge sack vs. the New York Jets (D’Brickashaw Ferguson is hurt, or has lost a step, I’m not reaching) to force a Geno Smith to Jamie Collins interception. In the Buffalo Bills season finale, however, against a solid left tackle in Cordy Glenn, Jones was nowhere to be found around quarterback Kyle Orton.

This is my problem with Chandler Jones. He will eat mediocre left tackles alive, but when he comes across a stud, can’t even tally a mere pressure. Jones did nothing against Ryan Clady in the 2013 AFC Championship (one tackle), and was also shut down in 2012 by Baltimore Ravens left tackle Bryant McKinnie (0 tackles). Jones is way too inconsistent, and if I honestly had to bet money on it, which I hope I’d be wrong, he’d be a no show vs. Clady again if the Patriots meet the Broncos, as well as against Russell Okung of the Seattle Seahawks.

But, some players have other players numbers, so we’ll see. Still, it seems Jones bullies the average and is the bullied vs. the elite.

Rob Ninkovich hasn’t done much of late at all. He was a fifth round pick in 2006 and was cut thrice before landing in New England. I’m not knocking his resume, but the production simply hasn’t been there from Nink. He is somewhat undersized at 6’2″ 260 lbs and frankly doesn’t do anything special.

Although many around the league say he is one of the most underrated players in the NFL, where exactly does the underrated title come from? Because he is quiet a lot of the time, then will make a solid play here and there to make people actually remember who number 50 is on the field, and it sure as hell isn’t Mike Vrabel.

Everything is different with a Super Bowl victory, but I think New England will look in another direction at right defensive end in the offseason, win or lose, potentially. Ninkovich is going to be 31 and the Patriots have not gotten any consistent pressure all year, on both ends. They re-vamped the secondary, the pass rush is likely next.

2014 29th overall pick Dominique Easley was supposed to provide some interior pressure for New England as a rookie, which he did at times, but was placed on inured reserve with another knee injury, likely stemming from lack of proficient rehabilitation of his ACL surgery in 2013. Easley showed flashes, but the Patriots really reached in the first round with a player who tore both ACLs in college. It would have been nice to have their first round pick (and second round pick, Garoppolo) contributing in the playoffs. Alas, Easley is just 22, and could come back a monster for 2015.

I’m not going to bash New England’s interior line, because I think it’s solid enough. Vince Wilfork, Alan Branch, Sealver Siliga, and Chris Jones are all good players.

Still. As good as Branch has looked, he was signed after being cut by the Buffalo Bills. Jones has a nice motor but is a borderline starter. Siliga was cut three times before landing a gig with the Patriots.

Time will tell for a more educated grade of New England’s make shift interior defensive line. The talent level may once again be lacking, perhaps across the board, with the exception of Wilfork.

Patrick Chung and Duron Harmon

Everyone remembers Chung was just a little too late getting over to drill Mario Manningham on the sidelines in 2011, right?

Chung was let go by the Patriots after their second Super Bowl loss to the Giants, and didn’t raise eyebrows as a Philadelphia Eagle either.

He has been good this year (85 tackles, a pick, seven passes defended), but there have been flashes of him getting burned in coverage throughout the season by tight ends.

Duron Harmon (12 tackles, a pick, a pass defended) has quietly been solid as well. His name has barely been announced, but he has been out there, specifically in coverage as a second center fielder next to fellow Rutgers alum Devin McCourty.

Again, time will tell if the talent at strong safety is enough against the elite teams with elite tight ends, such as Heath Miller of the Steelers, Jason Witten of the Cowboys, and the Packers Richard Rodgers, the latter of whom is just a rookie, but will be elite by next year or 2016. Throw Seattle’s Luke Willson in there as well. I’ve had nightmares of that no name white boy (all due respect, he seems like a nice player, 5th round 2013 Rice) burning New England’s secondary. Tight ends always seem to kill the Patriots, see Jordan Cameron, Scott Chandler, Travis Kelce.

In addition, we will also see how quick Chung and Harmon’s instincts are coming up to lay the lumber, and if they hit properly without costing their team 15 yards. As put on display by the legion of boom in Super Bowl 47, physicality is substantially needed in the playoffs from the secondary, and that is Chung’s calling card above all else.

Sometimes it’s tough to wind down after a loss like that, but I rested easy last night knowing that the Bengals threw that game on purpose to get an easier first round matchup-at least that’s what I’m telling myself. It sucks whenever you lose to the Steelers and it sucks whenever you lose a matchup that can win you a division championship, but all things considered, a matchup against a Colts squad in the first round of the playoffs, on paper, is probably the best thing for this team at the present moment. Did we get waxed the first time around? Yep. Is Andrew Luck one of the game’s best? You bet. But the Bengals and Colts have more or less traded places since the last go-around. The Colts have regressed as a team and the Bengals have certainly improved since they last limped into Indy, not that everything is perfect though. If the Bengals want to finally exercise the demons and get a playoff victory, A.J. Green HAS TO be on that field. Yea he had an awful game against the Steelers, as a matter of fact, you could make an argument that his blunders alone cost the Bengals that game. The dropped pass that led to a pick and the fumble in Steeler territory are hardly indicative of an elite NFL receiver, but A.J. IS a dominant player, and if they want any chance at stealing a victory in Indy, he has to be tip top. Tough to win a playoff game when your best player is on the sidelines.

#PrayForAJ

Time to bust out the rabbits feet and the lucky socks this week, boys. We’re gonna need ‘em.

The Cincinnati Bengals battled illness and a short week to come into Heinz Field and take on the Pittsburgh Steelers Sunday night in a gritty game that decided the 2014 AFC North champion. The Steelers didn’t need to alter their overall game plan to be successful, but when record-setting running back Le’Veon Bell went down due to a knee injury in the second half of the game it came down to defense. Pittsburgh cornerback Antwon Blake stripped Bengals receiver A.J. Green of a ball and allowed the Steelers an opportunity to get one more score and finish the Bengals off for good. With the win, the Steelers advance to the AFC playoffs as the number three seed.

Coaching

Overall, the Steelers coaching staff had the correct playbook in place to decide their own fate against the Bengals at home. The plan was to limit the rushing of Jeremy Hill, contain A.J. Green and disrupt Andy Dalton. That plan was well executed by the Steelers defense. On offense, the plan was never going to be to get away from using the ‘killer B’s'; Ben Roethlisberger, Antonio Brown and Le’Veon Bell. Unfortunately, when Bell suffered a third-quarter knee injury, the Steelers were one-sided on offense and threw unprepared Dri Archer and Josh Harris into the mix. It looked like it was going to be a disaster, especially when the coaching staff called for an ill-timed fake punt that was so obvious that Brad Wing would have done better to just take the tackle instead of tossing up an easy interception.

The play allowed Cincinnati to stay in the game and forced the Steelers to count on the defense to come up big. Coach Tomlin got to have a little post-game chat with Bengals defensive back Reggie Nelson that required head coach Marvin Lewis to come scrambling. While it is unclear what the issue was, there were some hard feelings between the two teams over some poor calls, rough play and emotions that were undoubtedly high throughout the game. If the Steelers’ staff hadn’t made adjustments and put in the personnel needed, they could have easily shot themselves in the foot. Instead, they propelled themselves into home field advantage in the playoffs by hosting the Baltimore Ravens at Heinz Field in Wild Card week (January 3-4, 2015).

Grade: B-

Offense

Despite having a bit of a stomach ‘bug’, quarterback Ben Roethlisberger held up well throughout the game. He had a couple throws that he allowed to sail on him, including one to tight end Heath Miller in the end zone. The offensive line did a nice job protecting Roethlisberger as he completed 24 throws for 317 yards and two touchdowns. Roethlisberger threw one interception in the game when the Bengals, who hadn’t put together much of a pass rush the entire game, suddenly threw a player at his blind side and Dri Archer didn’t adequately pick up the block. Roethlisberger hurried the throw and it ended up in the hands of the opponent.

Although Maurkice Pouncey did use good hands in recovering a batted ball, he forgot to wait until his teammates were set before he snapped the ball. The result was a fumble that was also recovered by the Bengals. Pouncey and the line got things put back together in time to give Roethlisberger an opportunity to find Brown open down field and hit him mid-stride for a 63-yard touchdown. Brown was matched stride-by-stride by Martavis Bryant who came into contact with Brown, then slid. If the teammates had ended up tackling each other, it would have been a huge mistake. Instead, the touchdown put Pittsburgh on top once again by 10 points and were all the Steelers needed to win.

Bell had eight carries for 20 yards rushing. Brown had seven receptions for 128 yards and a touchdown. Tight end Heath Miller once again proved invaluable to the Steelers offense, adding three receptions for 41 yards. Harris would have had the biggest night of the season as a running back for Pittsburgh had Ramon Foster not drawn a holding penalty that negated a big gain.

Grade: C

Defense

Cornerback Brice McCain entered the week 17 game with a single interception he earned in week 4 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. On Sunday night, McCain struck twice, intercepting Andy Dalton and giving the Steelers defense a boost in the takeaway category. McCain’s play made some wonder if Ike Taylor would truly be missed if he were unable to return in the post season from a forearm and shoulder injury. McCain had excellent support from William Gay, Will Allen, Antwon Blake and Mike Mitchell. Blake’s strip of Green was critical to the Steelers being able to secure the win.

The Steelers front seven were able to limit Dalton to just 27 completions for 244 yards and two touchdowns, hold running back Jeremy Hill to 100 yards rushing and no touchdowns and shut down the rushing attack of Giovani Bernard. Bernard did score on a forward shovel-pass from Dalton that nearly any NFL defense would have struggled to stop. Lawrence Timmons lead the Steelers defense once again this week with seven total tackles. Cam Heyward, Jason Worilds and Sean Spence all had a sack for a combined team total of three. A lighter James Harrison applied nice outside pressure and with Steve McLendon and Daniel McCullers stacking the center of the defensive line, Dalton was forced out of his comfort zone for most of the night.

Grade: A

Special Teams

There must have been a split second in the mind of (Antonio) Brown this week when he said, “I can take this all the way,” because he did something the Steelers have been unable to do all season in the return game; take a punt back for a touchdown. Brown took the Kevin Huber punt 71 yards for six points. Kicker Shaun Suisham nearly missed a field goal, but finished the night two-for-two by utilizing the upright in his favor.

The blame can’t be put on Wing for the poor selection of a fake punt call, but someone should have told him to hold onto the ball. Outside of that single play, Wing sent one punt 42 yards down the field. His average on three punts was 37.7.

This unit has played consistently average throughout the season with a spattering of highlights.

Grade: B+

Summary

Emotions were running high in a game that would not only decide a winner, an AFC North champion and playoff positioning, but seeding in those playoffs. Pittsburgh has been playing every single week the past five weeks like they were in a must-win situation. After missing the playoffs for two straight years, the Steelers can feel good that they were able to not only sweep Cincinnati this season in their two meetings but likely give the Bengals another likely result – a return to the playoffs where they are one-and-done. The Steelers are bruised and if Bell has more than just a knee strain, they will struggle moving forward. The good news is that the final game of the 2014 NFL regular season shined a light on a team that went from being the poster boys of misunderstood football youth to championship caliber in the space of a few weeks.

Christina Rivers has covered the Pittsburgh Steelers and National Football League professionally as a reporter and photographer for over a decade. Rivers studied exercise physiology and sports psychology at Brigham Young University as a student-athlete. Christina is a freelance writer covering all things NFL. Her work can be found onExaminer.com. [javascript src=http://www.examiner.com/sites/all/libraries/cbswidget.min.js]

Panthers – Cardinals: The Carolina Panthers are rolling into the postseason with a beautiful record of 7-8-1. However, they are a better team than their record indicates. They have a great defense and Cam Newton hasn’t looked like he’s lost a step since being in a car accident just a few weeks ago.

Meanwhile, the Arizona Cardinals may not have 2nd-string QB Drew Stanton for this game and would then be relying on 3rd-stringer Ryan Lindley to win the road battle. If Stanton isn’t available, then I think the Panthers will pull the upset and make the record of sub-.500 teams in the first round of the playoffs a perfect 2-0. I don’t have much faith in Lindley going on the road in the postseason with no prior experience.

It’s a shame that the Cardinals were as injured as they were throughout the season. If Stanton and regular starter Carson Palmer had stayed healthy, this team could easily be 13-3. However, they’re now facing an uphill battle to advance through the playoffs.

With Stanton: 27-21 Cardinals

Without Stanton: 27-17 Panthers

Cowboys – Lions: Who’d have thought that the Dallas Cowboys would be one of the best teams in the league come January? Tony Romo stifled all of his critics by going a perfect 4-0 in December, but he is now facing his toughest nemesis: the playoffs. As good as Romo has been throughout his career, he only have one postseason victory to his name.

On the other hand, the Detroit Lions are a tough team. Their defense is very physical and Matt Stafford can stretch the field on offense with Calvin Johnson and Golden Tate as his wideouts. The Cowboys are only 4-4 at home this season despite being a perfect 8-0 on the road. Can Romo finally overcome his playoffs demons and win? I wish I knew because my confidence is pretty low, despite all of the momentum they have right now.

31-27 Lions

AFC

Steelers – Ravens: The offense of the Pittsburgh Steelers, rather than the famed Steel Curtain defense, is what has them in the driver’s seat going into the playoffs. Ben Roethlisberger is playing some of the best football of his career and Antonio Brown has established himself as one of the best receivers in the game. Le’Veon Bell, who makes that offense as dominant as it is, may not be 100% for this game with a hyperextended right knee, which is a big concern.

Meanwhile, the Baltimore Ravens got into the playoffs thanks to the loss by the San Diego Chargers yesterday. Their defense is as tough as always and the offense is starting to come around with Justin Forsett establishing a great run game in the absence of Ray Rice. Is it enough to win against a tough team on the road? I don’t think so.

31-24 Steelers

Colts – Bengals: The Indianapolis Colts no longer need Peyton Manning behind center. Andrew Luck is doing just as well, if not better. Reggie Wayne and T.Y. Hilton are feared receivers that have been tearing up defenses throughout the season. No run game may be plaguing this team, however.

On the other hand, the Cincinnati Bengals are a total mystery to me. It’s hard to determine which Bengals team is going to go out there and play. Andy Dalton has been mediocre this season and A.J. Green has not struck fear like he used to. They’re going to need all of that to hang tight on the road with a tough Colts team.

24-21 Colts

]]>https://o.canada.com/sports/steelers-ride-antonio-brown-to-victory-over-bengals-afc-north-title/
Mon, 29 Dec 2014 04:59:20 +0000Associated Presshttps://o.canada.com/sports/steelers-ride-antonio-brown-to-victory-over-bengals-afc-north-title/PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Steelers are back on top of the AFC North.

Antonio Brown returned a punt 71 yards for a touchdown and added a clinching 63-yard scoring grab with 2:50 to go in the Steelers’ 27-17 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday night.

Pittsburgh (11-5) earned its first division title since 2010 by sweeping the season series from the Bengals (10-5-1). The Steelers are the No. 3 seed in the AFC and will host Baltimore in the wild-card round Saturday night. The Bengals are the No. 5 seed and will play at AFC South champion Indianapolis on Sunday.

Brown had 212 all-purpose yards, including the late dazzling catch and run to the end zone.

The victory came at a potentially high cost. Running back Le’Veon Bell left in the third quarter with a hyperextended right knee following a collision with Cincinnati safety Reggie Nelson.

Nelson hit Bell low at the end of a 19-yard reception and the second-year back — voted the club’s Most Valuable Player by his teammates last week — lay on the field for several minutes. He gingerly jogged to the sideline before being taken to the locker room to chants of “MVP! MVP!” Bell set a franchise record for total offence this season and has been one of the catalysts for Pittsburgh’s post-season return after a two-year absence.

Martavis Bryant #10 celebrates his touchdown with David DeCastro #66 of the Pittsburgh Steelers. (Photo by Justin K. Aller/Getty Images)

The Steelers will host a playoff game for the first time since they won the North in 2010 on their way to an AFC championship. The franchise has retooled over the last three years, with Brown leading the way.

Cincinnati drew to 20-17 and was driving late in the fourth quarter when wide receiver A.J. Green was stripped by Pittsburgh’s Antwon Blake, who then fell on the ball. The Bengals’ third turnover ended up costing them any shot at a second straight division title.

Ben Roethlisberger, battling an illness that forced him to miss warmups, found Brown down the right sideline. Brown split two Cincinnati defenders then raced 63 yards for a score on his 129th reception of the season, the second-highest total in NFL history. Roethlisberger finished 24 of 38 for 317 yards and two touchdowns to go with an interception.

Cincinnati’s Andy Dalton completed 27 of 38 for 244 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions. Green, who torched the Steelers for a career-high 224 yards three weeks ago, was held to eight receptions for 82 yards. Both of Dalton’s picks were on overthrows to his favourite target.

Brown kick-started the Steelers early in the first quarter, fielding a punt from Kevin Huber at the Pittsburgh 29 and raced to his right only to reverse back to his left, pushing teammate Shamarko Thomas into Huber’s way to clear a path to the end zone.

Ben Roethlisberger #7 of the Pittsburgh Steelers carries the ball in front of Wallace Gilberry #95 of the Cincinnati Bengals. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)

Cincinnati evened it in the first. Dalton overcame a poorly overthrown interception on Cincinnati’s second possession by converting a fourth-and-3 with a 14-yard pass to Brandon Tate then following it up with a nifty flip to Bernard after escaping the pass rush. Bernard leapt over two Steelers before reaching over the goal line.

Roethlisberger skipped his usual pregame warmup, not coming on to the field until the defence was being introduced just minutes before the kickoff while dealing with flu-like symptoms. He passed for 224 yards through three quarters but also turned it over twice, fumbling a botched snap and tossing an interception into double-coverage in the third quarter with Pittsburgh trying to extend its lead.

Ben Roethlisberger #7 of the Pittsburgh Steelers is congratulated by Andy Dalton #14 of the Cincinnati Bengals. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)

Roethlisberger was sharp for much of the first half despite the illness. A 26-yard throw to Bell set up Shaun Suisham’s field goal that tied it at 10 midway through the second quarter. Dalton threw high to Green, who tipped the ball into the hands of McCain. A lengthy return set the Steelers up at the Cincinnati 28. Two plays later, Bryant took a wide receiver screen and darted to the end zone for his eighth touchdown of the season.

For the first time in franchise history, the Pittsburgh Steelers finished the regular season at home under the Sunday night lights.

The result? A high octane, drama filled, well earned victory over the Cincinnati Bengals 27-17 to hand Pittsburgh the #3 seed in the AFC playoffs and the AFC North division championship.

The game was filled with extreme highs and lows for both teams and it began in the first quarter. Pittsburgh and Cincinnati ended their first possessions with punts. For Pittsburgh, Brad Wing’s punt was largely uneventful.

The same could not be said for Cincinnati’s Kevin Huber.

His punt was returned 70 yards for a touchdown by Antonio Brown to put the Steelers ahead 7-0 with 10:50 to go in the first quarter. An electrified Heinz Field became even louder on Cincinnati’s ensuing drive. The Bengals drove deep into Pittsburgh territory, but a miscommunication between quarterback Andy Dalton and wide receiver A.J. Green resulted in an interception by Bryce McCain.

However, McCain was tackled at the Pittsburgh 4 yard line and the Steelers offense went 3-and-out. Cincinnati responded with a critical drive during which they converted a 4th and 3 from the Pittsburgh 35 with a 14 yard pass play from Dalton to Brandon Tate. 3 plays later, Giovani Bernard hauled in a 17 yard touchdown shovel pass to tie the game at 7.

On the ensuing Steelers possession they picked up a first down, but later in the drive, Maurkice Pouncey snapped the ball too soon on a 3rd and 3. Ben Roethlisberger wasn’t expecting the ball and the Bengals recovered. Cincinnati responded with a field goal drive that crossed over into the 2nd quarter with Mike Nugent connecting from 39 yards to give the Bengals a 10-7 lead.

Roethlisberger marched the offense down the field for a drive that consumed 69 yards in 9 plays and took 4:56 off the clock. However, the drive was somewhat disappointing as the Steelers had to settle for a 29 yard field goal by Shaun Suisham to tie the game at 10.

Pittsburgh got the ball right back as Dalton found McCain once again, this time after the ball was tipped by Green, and McCain returned the ball to the Cincinnati 28. 2 plays later, Martavis Bryant, the recipient of the Joe Greene Great Performance of the Year Award, took a screen pass 21 yards for the touchdown to give the Steelers a 17-10 lead. After a Cincinnati punt, Roethlisberger guided the offense right down the field with pass completions to Brown, Le’Veon Bell, and Markus Wheaton. The Bengals would stiffen after Pittsburgh got inside the 10 and Suisham’s second field goal attempt of the game gave the Steelers a 20-10 lead with 49 seconds to go. The drive would consume 1:37 off the clock, cover 70 yards in 11 plays, and Pittsburgh would carry the double digit lead into halftime.

Cincinnati took the ball to begin the 3rd quarter and Dalton completed passes to Bernard and Mohammed Sanu. Dalton ran the quarterback sneak for the Bengals second 4th down conversion of the game, but the drive would go for naught as Nugent missed a 50 yard field goal.

The Steelers and Bengals would exchange punts and Pittsburgh would take over. Bell took a hard hit to the knee and was removed for the remainder of the drive. To add insult to injury, Roethlisberger was picked off by Reggie Nelson and the Bengals took over from their own 11. Bell would depart to the locker room as the Bengals took over.

Over the next few minutes, Cincinnati captured the momentum.

Dalton made the Steelers pay with an 89 yard scoring drive during which Green had a number of big plays. Jermaine Gresham hauled in a 5 yard touchdown strike to cut the lead to 20-17 with Nugent’s extra point. The drive took 7:29 off the clock and was 15 plays long. Gresham was injured on the play and could barely get off the field. He would not return for the remainder of the game.

In desperate need of a big drive, the Steelers offense tried to give the ball to rookie running back Josh Harris in the absence of Le’Veon Bell. Harris would have a 59 yard run called back due to a questionable holding call and the drive would ultimately stall. Pittsburgh decided to go with a fake punt and Wing’s pass was intercepted by special teamer Dane Sanzenbacher allowing the Bengals to take over at their own 41.

On their ensuing possession, the defense came up with another huge play. Mike Mitchell whacked Green to knock the ball loose and Antwon Blake recovered the fumble with 3:51 to go. Green was injured on the play and taken to the locker room. Three plays later, Roethlisberger found Brown for a 63 yard touchdown reception to give the Steelers a 27-17 lead. The touchdown was Brown’s 13th received this year to brake the record of 12 held by Hines Ward (2002) and John Stallworth (1984).

From there, the Steelers defense bore down on the Bengals and Dalton was sacked by Jason Worlids. The defense went on to stop Cincinnati on 4th down to end the game.

After all of the early adversity, growing pains, and inconsistency over the last two seasons, these Pittsburgh Steelers have finally proven their mettle. The division title is well earned and the home playoff game next Saturday night against the 6th seeded Baltimore Ravens is sure to be another highly contested match up two teams that have faced each other in the playoffs twice in the last 6 years.

The game to decide the AFC North is proving quite costly. LeVeon Bell already left the game with an apparent knee injury, and we await word on the severity. With the Bengals trailing by a field goal, Andy Dalton completed a pass to A.J. Green that would have put the Bengals in field goal range with just under 4 minutes left.

However, the hit from Antwon Blake separated the ball, and then the second impact from Mike Mitchell went through Green’s head and appeared to bend it back. Green remained on the turf for awhile after the hit. His status for the playoff game will be in question.

Finding fantasy success in Week 17 is usually a result of knowing which players and teams have some kind of motivation to succeed, such as a postseason berth or a bye in the playoffs. Many previous must-starts are no longer as obvious, while longtime backups can end up playing a starring role. The following five situations warrant the attention of owners in the final week of the regular season:

1. Green – the color of money. Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver [autotag]A.J. Green[/autotag] torched the Pittsburgh Steelers for 124 yards and a touchdown on 11 catches in Week 14, so what’s not to like about the rematch three weeks later? For starters, the three-time Pro Bowler was limited to 26 of 65 snaps due to a bruised biceps in his last game. Making matters worse, Green played on Monday, meaning he’ll have less time to heal than he normally would.

In that game, the Bengals had their way against the Denver Broncos’ second-ranked run defense and, with the memory of the their inability to close out the Steelers late in the first meeting fresh in their minds, it seems unlikely they will go pass-heavy with the AFC North title on the line. Given Green’s injury and Cincinnati’s likely plan of attack, fantasy owners may want to go in another direction this week.

2. Orange crush. The Broncos’ motivation is a first-round bye, so if they choose to rest any of their players, it will be because they spent the early part of the day shredding the Oakland Raiders at home. Since the Broncos committed to a run-heavy approach five weeks ago, only Pittsburgh’s [autotag]Le’Veon Bell[/autotag] has outscored Denver’s [autotag]C.J. Anderson[/autotag] at the running back position. The second-year undrafted free agent has logged 86.7% of the team’s snaps since Week 12 and is unlikely to see that figure drop much this week.

The Raiders have played much better recently, but still rank as the second-friendliest defense for opposing runners. Ronnie Hillman is due back for the first time in seven games and could steal a few snaps, but Anderson has played far too well to see his role reduced significantly for the rest of the season.

3. The Daily Show. It is rare when a talented running back in a favorable matchup has something to play for in Week 17 and has little to no competition for snaps. That’s why [autotag]Jonathan Stewart[/autotag] is in a great spot to be a top performer this week as the Carolina Panthers try to become the first NFC South team to repeat as division champions.

During the few times in his career that he has been healthy and received the majority of touches in his backfield, Stewart has generally been quite productive. The seventh-year back is one of those stretches right now, finishing each of the last three games with at least 20 carries while [autotag]DeAngelo Williams[/autotag] has been sidelined. As far as his matchup, it couldn’t be any better: the Atlanta Falcons yield the most fantasy points to running backs.

4. Teddy and the Bears. Minnesota Vikings quarterback [autotag]Teddy Bridgewater[/autotag] isn’t playing for a NFC North crown this weekend, but it wouldn’t be a shock if he enjoyed his first three-touchdown game at home against fantasy’s second-most forgiving pass defense. The rookie has thrown for two scores in four of his last five games and is fantasy’s No. 11 quarterback over that span.

The Chicago Bears have surrendered the most points in the NFL, while the Vikings are averaging 30 points over their last three home games. Bridgewater may not have his best game of the year, but he’s one of the least likely quarterbacks this weekend to disappoint.

5. Will a Chiefs WR ever score? The Kansas City Chiefs are a playoff longshot, but they are one of the teams that will play their starters as usual in Week 17. On the surface, the loss of quarterback [autotag]Alex Smith[/autotag] to a lacerated spleen would seem to be a drain on all of their fantasy players, but considering the Chiefs’ 19-game drought of failing to put a wide receiver in the end zone, it is possible [autotag]Chase Daniel[/autotag]’s promotion could be a good thing.

To that end, owners looking for a wild-card option at receiver may want to consider [autotag]Albert Wilson[/autotag], who has blossomed in recent weeks. The undrafted rookie free agent faces a San Diego Chargers defense that has yielded 18 passing touchdowns over the past 10 games. The Chargers defend the tight end well and running back [autotag]Jamaal Charles[/autotag] is hurting, possibly forcing the Chiefs’ receivers into a featured role this week. Wilson has secured seven targets in two of the last three weeks and was a Smith overthrow away from a 65-yard score last week.

This is the time of year that everyone sees all the top 10, bottom 10, best and worst, lists of 2014. It makes sense. It is the end of a year and soon will be the beginning of another new year. I usually don’t pay a lot of attention to all these lists because they are usually about everything that had absolutely nothing to do with my life.

Not that I am ego centric, OK, maybe just a little bit, but rather I see this time of year, as many people do, as a chance to reflect and look back at the events of the year and, hopefully, figure out what went right and what went wrong: what I liked and what I did not like.

Actually, it is always a good idea to analyze both your mistakes and successes no matter what time of year.

BTW, I am doing a similar post about my investment successes and failures over at my other blog, Bear With The Bull.

So, without further ado, here is my personal best and worst fantasy football list.

It all starts with my Fantasy Football Draft Strategy and outcome!

I always stress that no matter what you do in life you should have a plan. That goes for fantasy football. And no, ‘winning my league’ or ‘winning the championship’ is NOT a plan. It may be a goal, but it is not a plan. A plan is how you are going to achieve your goal.

A couple years ago, I won the championship in my Borderless League. Looking back, I realized I had three receivers and two running backs in the top twenty of their respective classes. Pretty amazing if I do say so myself. Of course, I also had the Bears defense – that was the year they absolutely tore up the league and were the number one defense in fantasy football. Combine all of that together, and you can see how I was able to win with a QB like Flacco.

So this year my goal was to get two wide receivers and two running backs who were in all in the top twenty. I should have stopped there and left it at that but I complicated it a bit by my planning to try and draft both receivers and the QB from the same team. So after careful consideration I decided to go with targeting the Atlanta Falcons as my primary receiver corps and the Miami Dolphins as my bench.

The Borderless league allows each owner to retain one keeper if they so choose to. Our version of the NFL’s Franchise Tag. I chose to keep Jamaal Charles. Selecting a keeper forfeits the first round pick. I thought Jamaal Charles was a safe bet to be in the top ten or twenty and worthy of a first round pick. So my attention quickly turned to the second and third round strategy.

This is where I got in trouble, and it had nothing to do with my plan. For my second round selection I found myself facing a dilemma. My first choice, Julio Jones, was still on the board. But I also saw A. J. Green and Dez Bryant. All three top ten selection material. A little voice in my head said, “Stick with the plan”, but another said “A.J. is a beast” and “Dez is always a threat”. I was actually expecting A.J. to be off the board. If he had, my decision would have been easy. “Stick with the plan”! But no, the other voice said A.J was a gift, take him. So I tossed the plan out the window and picked him. “Stupid” said the other voice. Turns out he was right. A.J did not finish in the top twenty this year.

That was the worst Fantasy Football decision I made. Not sticking with the plan.

As for the best decision, that actually was sticking with the rest of the plan.

I was able to fill out my roster with Ryan Tannehill, Lamar Miller and Mike Wallace. All three were great pickups for tier 2 players. In fact, believe it or not, Miller made it into the top twenty for running backs! I also did well on the waiver wire picking up Miami defense and Chris Ivory right before they got hot for a few weeks. Those two selections helped me win enough games to get into the playoffs this year.

On Sunday, the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Cincinnati Bengals will face off against each other with playoff implications at stake. If the Bengals win, they assure themselves of a home playoff game and (if the Raiders somehow beat the Broncos) could take over the 2nd seed and a first round bye. Pittsburgh would then be stuck with the 5th seed and travel to Indianapolis to take on the Colts in the Wild Card game. The Steelers can also secure the 3rd seed with a victory, but the 2nd seed is out of play. A tie would give the Bengals the division title and the home playoff game.

Now that all of the implications are out of the way, let’s focus on the gravitas that this contest has to offer. Both of these teams have already clinched a playoff spot, so why is this particular match up so intriguing?

Three reasons:

First of all, this will be the first time since 2003 that the Steelers will close out the regular season under the Sunday night lights. This will be the first time since ESPN started Sunday night telecasts in 1987 that Pittsburgh will play at home under prime-time lights for the final game of the regular season. Secondly, Pittsburgh and Cincinnati have been surging ever since the midway point of the season. Both teams are 7-2 since week 8 and they’re both riding impressive victories heading into this regular season finale. Pittsburgh’s defense came up with six sacks and a takeaway during a 20-12 victory over the Kansas City Chiefs last week. The Bengals outlasted Denver’s high flying offense and picked off Peyton Manning four times in a 37-28 win over the Broncos on Monday night. Last, but certainly not least, this game will be a critical test to see if the youth-infused Steelers are ready to take the leap from rebuilding to contending. With a playoff spot already locked up, the Bengals are in the midst of their fourth consecutive trip to play football in January. They are more seasoned in terms of experience in postseason play than the Steelers, so this will be the perfect opportunity for the likes of Vince Williams, Cam Heyward, Martavis Bryant, and Le’Veon Bell, among others on the roster who have never been to the playoffs, to show what they can do when the pressure is on.

A few more records seem destined to fall for the Steelers. Antonio Brown needs just two more catches to move into sole possession of 2nd place in NFL history for receptions in a single season. James Harrision needs just 1 1/2 sacks to break the all time record of 17 multi-sack games held by Jason Gildon. Pittsburgh needs just eight more points to break the franchise record of 416 set by the 1979 championship team for most points in a single season.

The individual match ups to keep an eye on are almost too numerous to count. Will the Bengals secondary and pass rush fare as well against Ben Roethlisberger as they did against Manning? Roethlisberger needs just 365 yards to reach 5,000 for the season. If history is any indication, he threw for 350 and 3 touchdowns in Pittsburgh’s first meeting: a 42-21 thumping of the Bengals in their own Jungle. Can the Steelers defense shut down the two-headed Cincinnati rushing attack of Jeremy Hill and Giovanni Bernard? The Bengals rank 5th in the NFL on the ground, averaging 135.4 yards per game, and Hill carried 22 times for 147 yards against Denver on Monday night, including on 85 yard touchdown run. On the other side, can Le’Veon Bell replicate his 26 carry, 185 yard, 2 touchdown performance that he had against these Bengals in the first meeting? Antonio Brown vs. the Bengals defense/A.J. Green vs. the Steelers defense. James Harrison vs. the Bengals offense/Ray Manaluga vs. the Steelers offense. The list goes on and on.

This is the kind of game that makes football so much fun to watch. There are sure to be a number of memorable moments to look back on from this coming Sunday night for a long time to come.